The musician community has been up in arms recently over the treatment of Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot. Three members of Pussy Riot were arrested and jailed for shouting a "punk prayer" during a performance at Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral. In the "prayer," they called the Virgin Mary a feminist and yelled "Put Putin Out!" The Russian government is charging them with "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" and they face up to three years in prison.

Madonna has been an extremely vocal advocate for the group, and various musicians including Peaches, The Knife, Miike Snow, The Hives and Peter Bjorn & John have come together to make a protest video. So, what do you think? Should Pussy Riot be freed -- or do they deserve jail time?

No one is telling you anything. Do what you want, believe what you want. I believe what I want to, what experience I have had living in other countries. The U.S. has become a too violent nation, yet people don't want gun control. It seems you have African American issues. You are not even relating to the subject of this question. I did not even comment to you in the first place.

If there is public law that makes it illegal to say something then the consequences of breaking that law should be exacted on the individual/group. I am a christian, and if there is a law against my proclaiming my religion....and I continue to do so, then I expect to be jail and handed the punishment for breaking that law.

Absolutely, they should be freed. They didn't harm a soul; only exercised their natural-born right to express an opinion.

Just because the Russian government does not *recognize* the right of free speech does not mean that that right magically ceases to exist. We have our rights because we're sentient beings capable of reason, not because some government doles them out to us. If the ruling elites in any given country can just "erase" a right, then it was never a right at all, but a privilege.

That's true, but you have freedom of speech because you're a human being, not just because you're from a country whose government recognizes those rights. If the people in power over there refuse to acknowledge those natural rights, then they are the real law-breakers.

The laws may be different, but they are not guilty of the crime of which they are accused; this is the prime reason so much of the world is outraged. The verdict was set before the trial began. They engaged in political speech, but the prosecution says their openly political song WASN'T political at all, and declared it hate speech instead.

Except, even under Russian law, these girls aren't guilty. Prosecution charged them with engaging in hate speech toward the Russian Orthodox Church and declared their song had not actually been political speech or carrying a political message. But the song was called 'Virgin Mary, Chase Putin Out' and contains a chorus repeatedly naming Putin. It was, as all of Russia knows,in fact political speech. They are not guilty of the crime of which they are accused.

I just think putting them in jail would just prove some of what they were singing as correct and it would just give the government a bad name.If i were in charge of their punishment I would make them do service for the church...help the nuns out or something

Then why didn't you go inform yourself about the whole story instead of arbitrarily voting "No?"

Or, if you didn't feel like doing a 30 second Google search, why even bother voting at all? Are you really that big a fan of Putin that you feel the need to come on here and try defending his government or their ridiculous, draconian laws?

I have absolutely no respect for any world leader that has to rig elections to stay in power. You sound like a fan of autocratic government.

And no...I don't agree with enforcing unjust laws. Maybe if you have so much respect for despots like Putin and his despotic laws you'd be happier in North Korea where you'd get to spend 10 years in a gulag for criticizing the government.

We have no proof if the elections in Russia was rigged or not. Like i said i have hard time believing everything western media say. As for enforcing unjust laws. Happens all the time in the us. Yet nobody seems to talk about it.